Pastor Dave's Highlights

[CntryBoy777]

Something that I have found that will assist in busting up packed earth by hand is a heavy spade fork....it works like a shovel, but ya aren't digging a hole....just busting the dirt and grass/weeds up....use leverage and push down on the handle to just lift it a bit....do a fair sized space and then use the hoe to separate dirt and grass/weed roots and bust the clods....it takes most of the muscling of the hoe away and saves the back and hands.....I was always taught that ya can work the tool or let it work you.....saves blisters on the hand also....just make sure ya have a sharpen hoe....it makes a huge difference.....

 

[farmerjan]

I get the garden tilled once in the spring. Have paper feed bags, cardboard, anything, to cover anything that is not planted. Use the bags in the walkways/rows. Mulch everything with old hay, grass clippings work really good right around the plants. Cover the bags/cardboard with chicken manure/litter then a little hay/straw mulch on top. Never till again for the year. I will take an old rotting roll of hay and lay sheets of it down to cover the tilled garden that might not get planted right away. This year I didn't have a garden either, but it was partly the knee/ankle and partly the landlord, partly the guy who does it had a major tractor breakdown and didn't know when he could get to it. But there have been several around with plenty to give away so haven't suffered for fresh. Just didn't put up anything except some fruit. And there are a couple of places where I see pears weighing down the trees that I am going to go ask... because I love pears....and because canned is easier to move than frozen. Whenever that happens.
There are 2 places that may be going on the market, that might be reasonable and that are close by here... so I am waiting. One was a guys' in-laws place, wife inherited, and they don't want to put alot into it and it is kind of old fashioned so would be a good fit I think. It has been empty for awhile. Told my son that they were going to do something with it because it had sat empty long enough. Guess I can deal with another winter here even if I don't really want to. Will get the oil tank filled soon, and get another of the small "infared" type room heaters. Not worth the money to have these 2 worked on that the infared elements have quit. They are several years old and I can get new ones for nearly what the elements cost. They do a good job of keeping the rooms comfortable without running the oil furnace all the time which is very expensive. They double my electric bill, but still better than the oil which is not very efficient and runs all the time due to the cold air that seeps in around some of the windows etc. Plus I can heat the room I am in more comfortably, and not keep the whole house warm when I will not be in some of it much.

Stomach is growling to be fed....

 

[Mike CHS]

I have a rear tine Husqvarna tiller but I use a broad fork in my raised beds. The one we had is the same as the one in the picture.

 

[Pastor Dave]

That broad fork sounds and looks like a good idea. My asparagus crowns and strawberry starts arrived yesterday and plan to plant them before work today.

 

[Mike CHS]

They are good to work with especially when you have back problems. You stand upright and the broad fork does the heavy work. I have a tiller attachment that goes on my Stihl power head and just lightly work the surface a bit.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Even with the back aching, I dug abt an 8-10" trench the 40' length of the garden and planted my 25 asparagus crowns abt 18" apart. I had read anywhere from 6" to 12" depending on soil type and climate range. Most of my crowns are 8" deep, and I incorporated some sand to the soil because the nursery or company that shipped to us recommended 30% sand added to clay soil. It took over 2 hours and once I thought the time consuming part was done, the actual planting took longer. Filled in with 4" of soil until see shoots coming up, then advised to fill in remaining 4".

Disregard all the weeds. Still haven't finished weeding the remainder of the patch since hurting my back hoeing. Haha, Mmhmm.

 

[Baymule]

You will enjoy the fruits of your labors!

 

[Mini Horses]

Isn't it nice knowing that this is YOUR land/garden and you can do this? I know that it is!!! Nice job. I love asparagus.

 

[Pastor Dave]

We also have a raised flower bed abt 4'x6' rectangle that Jill weeded and is empty, ready for strawberries. Got 10 starters at same time as asparagus and plan to put 4 or maybe 6 plants in that, and then the remaining in the garden. Will have to see which patch of those does better.

 

[farmerjan]

NICE JOB.